


Red Beetle, June Bug

by flippinfishkeeper



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Gen, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, i just wanna be a powerful magician plz, set before the apprentice loses their memories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 12:17:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16305074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippinfishkeeper/pseuds/flippinfishkeeper
Summary: Drabbles of my apprentice, June, before she lost her memories!





	Red Beetle, June Bug

**Author's Note:**

> The canon timeline likely won't be followed, but the first few chapters will follow directly after each other in order to set up a setting and some basic info. I'm a big fan of Asra/Apprentice stuff so... guilty pleasures much?

A light drizzle sprinkled through the air of Vesuvia, clouding the city in an almost impenetrable gray fog. The rain lightly beat down on the silk shop stands, pooling in rivulets and falling down through the cracks into the river below the marketplace’s wooden walkways. A lone figure swayed through the gray mist, almost invisible itself, outlined with soft mute-colored fleece that blended into the humid, hazy air.

June carefully padded across the wooden boards of the marketplace, making note of the rising river below her. It wasn’t even daybreak yet- the marketplace roads would surely be covered in an inch or so of water by the time morning had truly come. Her magic cloaked the pathway in front of her as it tested the wooden pathway for creaks or cracks. It grew. It faded. It found a safer route, and guided June’s legs toward the left, then the right.

A chaperone of the early morning dangers.

June felt the magic tug her away, suddenly, from a shady alley. It would’ve been surprising had she not already known of the hidden danger lurking there. Some sort of dog was following her, as it had since she took her first step out of her magic shop. It means no harm, June willed toward her magic. It pooled uneasily at her feet- like a loyal hound itself- before once again stretching out and away. June heard a shuffle in the alley. Then, the tiny clack of fading footsteps in still water.

June continued down the marketplace until she caught a whiff of something heavenly baking. Confident in her abilities from here on, her magic snapped back toward her feet and melded back into her form. June smiled- and shivered. It seemed the magic brought back some of the cold of the air. 

The baker’s shop became ever more clearer and the scent ever more irresistible. June’s mouth watered as she stopped in front of the wooden shop door. The smells are overwhelming, she thought as she knocked. 

BANG! June jumped and screeched at the baker’s approach. They wrapped their flour-dusted arms around the girl and drew her up in a twirling bear hug. 

“Junebug! You’ve finally arrived! How’s my favorite magician magicianing? Doing well? Come in, come in!” June laughed openly into the air as the baker half-dragged, half-carried her into the shop. It was like stepping into another world. The cold, dreary grey of the misty town was replaced by warm orange and red walls glowing to the many ovens lining the bakery’s back. Slippery cobblestone was replaced by warm, dry chestnut wood furniture. And perhaps most importantly, the feeling of being watched drained away into simple joy of sharing close quarters with a friend.

“Sit down, get dry. The day’s just begun and you’re already a mess!” June sputtered for a second, turning bright red at the baker’s grin.

“Hey! I was gathering things for you! You’re the reason I look like a rat!” Water dripped off June’s fleece cape onto the wooden floorboards as she sat on a chestnut stool facing the main counter. The baker laughed and walked toward the back of the store. June watched in apt interest as they busied themselves with bread making.

“Yes, well, you’re the only one I know who would go into the Glindfurr Forrest for a couple sticks.” They said, rotating a loaf before sticking it back. June threw her sack of herbs onto the floor. It slid over the polished wood with a high squeak.

“‘Couple sticks’ my ass, you _know_ you need those for the pumpernickel bread!”

“And _you_ know you didn’t need to bring me a whole sack full.”

The baker turned around in time to catch June’s pout and laughed again. “While you’re here…. I’ve just started the second batch of the day, could you help me cool down the first? I’d like them all packaged before these finish baking.”

She looked over her shoulder from her spot on the counter at the bread cooling behind her. June took a deep breath in and pulled her magic to her hand. With a breath out and a quick flick of her fingers, a small breeze formed around the resting loaves. It twirled around the front of the shop, dancing playfully from loaf to loaf, before whipping around to deposit the warm air next to the stove.

“It’s always nice to see you using magic as a helping hand.” The baker’s voice seemed closer than before- June looked back around and saw she was eye-to-eye to the baker. They sat on a stool on the opposite side of the counter. 

“You’ve always been a great help with that magic of yours, Junebug. I’m not gonna make you stay later and help me take out the next batch-”

“But I-”

“No, June! You burnt yourself the last time, don’t pretend you haven’t after asking me for an ice pack!” June rubbed the back of her neck and felt it was oh so suddenly hard to make eye contact.

“As I was saying, I’ve experimented with doing a batch of something you’d like.” The baker drew out a thin burlap sack from behind the counter and pat the top of it. “It’s new, I’d like to have you do a taste test and- hey!” The baker playfully swapped June’s hand away from the small sack.

“I’d like you to taste it in the comfort of your own home. They say it tastes better that way.” The baker finished.

“I’m- thank you.” June took the drawstring of the sack. It was still warm, yet the sack seemed to have a magical property that kept scents from escaping. She aimed a small swirl of magic at the sack to confirm so- it had been enchanted. “I suppose you’ll need it back then?” she smiled.

“Ah, no, I have many more. They keep the bread dry. Now go! I need full attention to my breads!”

 

June’s magic wrapped itself back over the marketplace floor as soon as she waved her last goodbye to the baker. The special bread was wrapped inside her cloak and tightly secured. The magic tested the air around her and, satisfied in that no one was following them, settled at her feet. She relaxed and let the feel of smooth wood echo over her own skin as she followed her magic-

Somewhere else.

The magic now pulled her forward, urging her toward the shoreline. It brought back the smell of salt, sweat, and bitter alcohol. Not unusual things, but unusual for the time of day. The sun barely rose over the horizon, who would be getting drunk at this hour?

Her magic turned back to it’s normal spread, as if realizing June would not follow it away from the walk home. Satisfied, June turned away. She took a step forward but felt an unmistakable jolt.

The weakest tinge of someone else’s magic poked at her own. Curious. June closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Willing herself to see the magic by itself, she peaked into the colorful world of magic sensing. A thread of purple feebly weaved into her own teal cloud of mist. It sang one long, high note, and tried to weave into June’s curious strands.

Curiosity piqued, June formed a strand of her own. It drew from her searching cloud and danced around the grey-purple lightly. The muted purple waved at her. It wove itself around June’s teal-

_**“Muriel, hold on! Someone is coming to help! Hold this to the wound, Muriel, please, I need to conce-”** _

June snapped open her eyes. 

_**“Help!”** _

Her feet hit the floor pounding as she sprinted toward the pier. The weak magic tried to engulf her, to warm her in thanks, but was far too weak to do so, and June chased the thread down to the beach.

A call of a wounded magician is not something easily ignored.


End file.
